What is Comparative Programming
Comparative programming involves designing programs in different languages to
accomplish the same task. Through the process of addressing a common problem
the varied idioms and techniques of different programming languages highlight
alternative methods of solving problems, allowing us to look at a task and
solution from many angles.
When we spend too much time working and thinking in a single language we can
become blocked in by it’s patterns and practices. This narrows our focus to
the point of missing sometimes obvious, innovative answers to the problems
we come across every day. The techniques we discover in Comparative Programming
may not always be faster, more efficient, or better suited to the task at hand,
but they do offer multiple approaches; the more tools and techniques we
have to choose from, the better the chances are that we can work out an
optimal solution.
Of course, it’s also just entertaining to play around with programming languages
that we don’t get to use everyday.
Examples
- The Echo program.
- The Frequency Analysis program